Midsize SUV Experience?

[Mojave]

I am going to caveat this by saying it depends.

Toyota Sienna makes a AWD model. That would be my first choice. A van is a better people mover by far than an SUV. We are on our 2nd one. I would buy another. Easier to see out of than the Honda and Dodge.

Toyota Highlander is an overly expensive option. Smaller inside than the Sienna.

Subaru 3 row SUV I can't remember the name of is very good. Neighbor has one. They love it.

We have 5 people in our family here in Germany. The van is a better SUV than an SUV is.

SUV's get small fast.

The inside of the Sienna is bigger and more comfortable than the Toyota Sequoia we sold last year.

Nothing wrong with a full size van if she is willing to drive it. I owned a E-350 Ford Econonline for a long time. Solid machine.

 

[SloppyJ]

My wife has ran a Subaru for the past 15yrs. She's on outback #2. It doesn't have 3rd row searing but I think they have a model that does.

We are in the same boat since our youngest is now 1yr old. We need something a bit bigger with some more room. Our list is very close to yours.

As much as I don't want to spend the money, I really like the Sequoias, but not the brand new ones because I'm not made of money. I wouldn't mind one of the last models that has the 5.7. But say bye to your MPG, I had a tundra and got 12mpg and that sequoia is the same as the tundra.

Were also considering a mini van which I'm not opposed to strangely enough.

It's gotten to the point where we take my silverado everywhere due to the size.

 

[Theringworm]

Lexus TX is what I would get if looking. The cheaper version being the Toyota Highlander Grand.

 

[DisplacedHusky]

We have had a Telluride for 4 years and we love it. It’s way nicer than it should be for the money. Driving dynamics, comfort and power all feel better that the price of the vehicle. I never would have considered a Kia before this but we have been very happy with it. The warrant is great as well. I will say that it is not as proficient in the snow as our previous Subaru but better than our previous Honda Pilot. We have a truck for the other vehicle so we don’t need to press it into extreme weather.

https://www.motortrend.com/reviews/3-row-suv-comparison-test-telluride-pilot-explorer-palisade-ascent-grand-cherokee-l-cx-90/

 

[Wrangler13]

My wife loves her 4Runner. Plenty of room for two car seats and has a large trunk for the dogs. My dad has a pilot and it is ok too.

 

[DakotaBPNW]

Look at the VW Atlas. Tons of room and very competitively priced against similar vehicles

 

[Tahoe1305]

Had a telluride for 3+ years and 50k. It’s been awesome. Fuel economy is 30+ on freeway. Throttle responsive, third row was better than the others available in class (thanks to sliding second row seats). Worked well thus far in the snow, but plan on putting better AT tires this fall for CO winter this year.

Zero complaints. Never been in the shop other than oil.

 

[tradman]

GX 460

 

[7mm-08]

Hard to beat a 4Runner. We're not familiar with the 3rd row seating option, but my wife absolutely loves her 2020 SR5, which has 21K on the clock.

 

[ray12515]

Mojave has it right, we tried several SUVs when we were shopping because my wife didn’t want a minivan. Any one of them would have been acceptable but on a whim my wife tried a Toyota sienna and loved it. Much better visibility, drives more like a car instead of a truck and the sliding doors are very nice if you’re in a tight parking spot and need to buckle a kid into a car seat

 

[WiscoHoundsman]

I wound consider the palisade that’s what we just got. From my understanding it’s the same as a Kia telluride but had a better warranty and the Hyundai dealership here didn’t force a bunch of extras on us with the price

 

[Finn16]

The wife currently drives a 2013 Cadillac SRX and wants something newer. So when we travel and rent cars, we always get SUV's to get a good feel for what is out there. Anyways, I tried a 4Runner recently and it was obvious it is on a truck chassis. If you are used to the ride of a "normal" SUV, a 4Runner might not be the ride she is used to or looking for.

 

[ramsdude47]

Highlander Hybrid is leaps and bounds ahead of the pack. 2020 or newer and there is a big jump in MPG.

I would also echo that a midsize SUV is a poor choice if the 3rd row will be needed often. Also a lot of these recs are Large SUV’s.

 

[Kane13]

My wife has a 2019 chevy tahoe. Only issue we have had so far is one of the rear air shocks blew out the first time I towed with it. I only had about 3500# behind it and was very balanced on the trailer.

 

[Antique0s]

I would pick the Pilot, or if your budget will allow it, an MDX. With the MDX the mpg is not great but otherwise, it will be a great car -- drives very well, spacious, etc. -- but the 3rd row is only for small adults and children. If you care about space (as you allude to for your hobby), nothing like a minivan.

 

[TxxAgg]

We bought a Kia Telluride in January. Very happy with it so far. 7k miles in.

 

[Laelkhunter]

I would buy a Toyota, Mazda, Honda or Subaru. That's about it.

We have had really good luck with Nissan. I have a 2015 Nissan Armada that is rock solid, and have had no problems in 9 years except replacing the battery at about 4 years. Wife has a 2019 Nissan Murano, same story. Regular maintenance schedule, and we use Amsoil synthetic exclusively in both vehicles. I have had excellent luck with Toyota in the past too, a pickup and two 4 Runners.

 

[Mish-pop]

I have a Subaru Forester that works like a charm. It doesn't have 3rd row. The Subaru Ascent does and I have a close friend who has one and she loves it

 

[Yoder]

We have had really good luck with Nissan. I have a 2015 Nissan Armada that is rock solid, and have had no problems in 9 years except replacing the battery at about 4 years. Wife has a 2019 Nissan Murano, same story. Regular maintenance schedule, and we use Amsoil synthetic exclusively in both vehicles. I have had excellent luck with Toyota in the past too, a pickup and two 4 Runners.

I heard really good things about the Armada and the older Pathfinder/Xterra's. I was looking at a Murano but I read about the class action lawsuit with their CVT transmissions and decided against it.

 

[twall13]

If I was buying right now it would probably be a Kia Telluride. I test drove one about a year ago and really liked it. I've also heard great things about their longevity but didn't have experience there personally. You also can't go wrong with a Toyota.

I'm not sure on the newer Chevy Traverses but we had a 2011 that had issues. My wife loved it, but it had transmission issues and leaked all over the garage. My father in law and sister in law had similar issues with them as well. My brother had to replace the engine on his GMC Acadia as well. So, I can't say I'm a huge fan of the Traverse/Acadias personally.

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